Dire Straits: Comfort
by AHeartForStories
Summary: Following the episode of RttE, 'Dire Straits', Toothless has trouble resting easy after nearly losing Hiccup.


_Because I've been watching a lot of Httyd lately, I wanted to write about this fandom too. What better way to start than with a one-shot about Hiccup and Toothless?_

 _Now, this is my very first How to Train Your Dragon fanfic, so I do hope that I managed to nail down their personalities a little._

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 **Dire Straits: Comfort**

It wasn't often that Hiccup felt this terrible, but he had a nasty cough, he was nauseous, he could barely stand on his own two feet, his chest hurt with every shaky breath he took, he was simply exhausted, and the warm and dry clothing did little to stop him from feeling cold.

Honestly, though he knew there was still work that had to be done now that Viggo was gone again, all he really wanted to do was curl up in bed under the covers and sleep.

Well, near death by drowning could do that to a person.

Yes, Viggo had sunken especially low with his most recent plan to 'intimidate' Hiccup Haddock. Endangering the innocent people of Berk, men, women, and children alike, he had chained a Submaripper down in the Straits of Baldur, preventing any and all traders from reaching the Viking village for business. If it wasn't the foul odor that kept them away, the man-eating whirlpools created by the dragon certainly would.

To make matters worse, trade was their only means to survive following the loss of their gold and so Viggo's plan had ultimately been to starve the teen's people until he backed off and left their operations alone.

Berk's heir could not allow this to continue, of course, and so had decided to act accordingly.

To free the Tidal Class dragon, he had fashioned himself a diving contraption created out of Gobber's old melting cauldron. Both Death Song amber and Gronckle iron were used to triple-reinforce it enough in order to withstand the pressure so deep down in the ocean.

He had also created a diving helmet out of a normal Viking helmet, Death Song amber goggles, and cloth.

Both creations would prove excellent at keeping the water out and the air in, though one not nearly as much as the other, allowing the brunette to safely reach the ocean floor in the Straits and so in turn the Submaripper. Or they theoretically should at least.

The plan was quite simple. Go to the bottom of the sea, approach the Ripper cautiously, melt its chains with Changewing acid, get out of there before it realizes he was ever there, and everyone could go on their merry way.

Despites the lack of testing done to ensure Hiccup's safety, the plan seemed to go off without a hitch. That is until the first chain was severed and Viggo had appeared with his ship to put a stop to their endeavours to free the Ripper, expecting them to have taken action the moment this nefarious plan had been conceived.

Hiccup didn't quite know the details of what was going on at the surface while he was down there completing mission. All he had been told when he asked was that Viggo arrived on the scene and riled the seadragon up by catapulting large rocks into the ocean.

He would've asked for the details with either Astrid or Fishlegs, someone who wouldn't exagerate the story to make themselves out to be the hero, but found himself too tired to do so. All he wanted was to sleep. He could always ask again later.

Toothless thought that was a splendid idea. After a good long visit to Gothi, of course. The Night Fury didn't quite believe his rider was 'just fine' with how terrible he looked, acted, and sounded. It had taken several attempts to convince the dragon that all he needed was rest and warmth to recover, that he'd be okay.

The dragon had become quite protective, growling at everyone and everything if they just as much as looked at him the wrong way.

He had always been protective when it came to his rider, but this time he was simply too overbearing. Not that anyone could blame him considering recent events.

Rarely had he ever come so close to losing his rider than today.

Nevertheless, a growling Night Fury meant no one would even think of getting in their way, leaving a clear path to the chief's house for the two to follow with no interruptions. Toothless liked it that way. No one would hassle his rider with meaningless problems, allowing him to get the rest he so desperately needed.

Hiccup had insisted on walking besides his dragon, using him as a crutch because he was simply too weak on his feet to get there on his own strength, but still much too stubborn to crawl up on his saddle for a quick ride there.

Unfortunately, it wasn't so strange for him to be this pigheaded. Toothless had often wondered just why his rider needed to be so difficult all the time.

On the way a few had congratulated him in freeing the Ripper and some even thanked him. No longer would they, their dragons, and their children be starving. Those were the Berkians who didn't let a snarling and agitated Night Fury get to them too much, but then they finally arrived.

His father, Stoick, wasn't home and so the two quickly skipped the rest of the house in favour of their shared bedroom. Pretty much crawling up the stairs when his legs didn't quite work like they used to anymore and complained, Hiccup eventually reached the upper floor and made way for his bed after helping the Night Fury take off his riding gear and prosthetic.

Toothless had other ideas in mind.

Lying down on his stone slab, this time fighting the urge to heat the rock up to comfortably hot temperatures, his tail and its fin came to place themselves in Hiccup's way and his front most teeth grabbed hold of the very hem of the young man's tunic carefully to pull him back. A slight groan left his human at the pull.

"Really, Toothless? I'm tired! I just wanna go to bed and sleep the rest of the day away." Hiccup said, not putting up much of a fight when the back of his legs, both real and false, came to hit the edge of the stone behind him and caused him to fall back, dropping down on his bum between the dragon's two front legs.

Toothless warbled something as a response while he nuzzled his snout against his rider's face before quickly wrapping a paw around him to pull Hiccup down and settling his head on his torso, telling him that he was going nowhere anytime soon. The human chuckled in response.

"Okay, Bud, I get it, I get it. You want me to sleep here with you." Wiggling a hand free, Hiccup started to pet him, stroking him on top of his head and scratching him where he knew Toothless liked it best.

The Night Fury's eyes closed contently, purring under the touch and the warmth of his now safe rider lying beneath his head.

A dragon's soft underside, belly, throat, under his jaw, they weren't just vulnerable, they were sensitive aswell. That fact allowed Toothless to not just feel Hiccup's bodily heat and his chest heaving with every calm breath he took, interrupted only with the occasional cough, but he could also sense the slight and steady thumping of his much smaller heart within. It worked so much faster than his, though they were only lying there.

It was a comforting sensation to him. There was no surer way of knowing that his other half was still alive and right there with him.

Hiccup must've noticed somehow. Toothless' human was quite clever, when he wanted to be at least, so he must've figured out what was wrong as the petting took a slower, more reassuring pace.

Toothless opened an eye and let his gaze fall on the other's face.

"That was scary, wasn't it? The cauldron, all that water, the Submaripper... Not something we're gonna do a second time, right Bud?" He asked, a sympathetic smile on his features as he spoke to the Night Fury.

He was certain this would be a day he'd never forget, a sight he'd never be able to burn off his mind no matter how much he'd want to try.

Toothless on the other side of that porthole, realizing his best efforts and abilities were for naught down there in the dark and deep ocean, his strong draconic heart visibly breaking when Hiccup seemed to have made peace with his fate and wanted to say goodbye, and lastly, Toothless' stubborn want to not leave his rider's side even as he slowly ran out of air himself.

Yes, it would be an image he'd never forget.

The Night Fury crooned in agreement, only lifting his head enough to give one long, lazy lick across his other half's face, causing another chuckle to leave him. This time Hiccup for once didn't care enough to wipe it all away.

"I'm not gonna lie, it was terrifying down there. I wasn't just scared for myself, but for you too, Bud. I'd wanna get mad at you for being so reckless and following me all the way down there, but I know I'd do the same if it was you in there." He spoke up again once his lungs settled down after another coughing fit, his chest hurting slightly.

Once more did Toothless respond with an agreeing croon.

It truly was a frightening experience. His rider, though somehow surviving what would've killed a regular Viking time and again, was still a fragile human. A compassionate and clever human, but still frail, not at all as resillient as a dragon often was.

To see Hiccup, his other half and soulmate, make peace with his untimely death so easily, to see him smile in such a sad way, realizing that he'd be leaving poor Toothless behind and giving him a wordless goodbye, it was something the Night Fury wouldn't forget anytime soon either.

"How about we make a deal, Bud? I'll be less reckless to keep you out of danger and you do the same for me. How does that sound?" Hiccup suggested and it really was all they needed to be careful.

If they didn't get hurt being reckless, one more so than the other, they were getting hurt trying to save eachother. If they could just be a little more careful, perhaps they could keep eachother out of trouble.

Toothless seemed to approve of that idea, if just to keep Hiccup from making any more irrational decisions, or to make him take less reckless actions at the very least.

The soft reassuring stroking and scratching of the dark scales never let up and Hiccup huffed when his dragon agreed to his proposal, smiling.

"Okay, that's a deal! But can you at least let me get a bit more comfortable? I think I'm already gonna be sore for the next few days, so I should really avoid a stiff neck to top it all off." He requested, raising his aching head to look the Night Fury in the eye.

Toothless crooned in playful defeat before he lifted his head and let his rider get back up on his feet.

He didn't go very far. Scooting over to the dragon's side, with the reptile's concerned gaze following his every move, Hiccup swiftly curled up to him.

Gratefully soaking his best friend's heated, fiery core that every dragon was naturally born with, a nice change after the freezing cold of the ocean, the brunette laid his head down on a front leg of his. It didn't matter if his metal leg was still on, he simply pulled his legs in close and tried to sleep.

He was glad Toothless suggested this. It was warm here at his side. It was comforting, familiar, safe. This was nothing like the cold claws of the watery and iron grave that he almost had the displeasure of calling his own.

Exhaustion was quickly lulling him to sleep and Toothless noticed by the way his rider relaxed, his pulse slowing down and his breathing evening out. Shifting ever so gently, he curled up around him, his closest wing acting like a makeshift blanket, tail wrapping around them both.

Completely enveloped in this safety, this kind warmth, Hiccup smiled in his slumber as he sunk deeper and deeper into a dream that would without a doubt take him back up in the sky between the clouds. Toothless quickly followed, allowing the fact that his human was safe and sound by his side sooth him and lull him to sleep.


End file.
